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Kashmir Foundation for Organization Research and Development

Governance Policy

Preamble

Taking note of the fact that the KFORD, in pursuance of its mandate, is required to
undertake various operations including financial transactions, procurement of goods and
services etc., for providing the requisite assistance to the vulnerable sections of society and
integrating them into the development process,

Also that the foundation has always been committed to and continues to be committed to
observing high standards of propriety, transparency and accountability in its functioning,

Further taking into account that in view of the increasing scope of functioning of the
foundation, especially in the context of its commitment to work towards securing the rights
of women, children and other vulnerable sections of society as recognized by international
conventions, it is now felt that the framework of the Governance Policy relating to financial
matters, procurement of goods and management of human resources and Child Protection
to be followed for optimally and credibly achieving the objectives of the foundation needs
to be drawn up in more specific terms to guide the functioning of the foundation at all
levels,

The Board of Trustees of the foundation has adopted the Governance Policy contained
herein to guide the functioning of the foundation at all levels, and while doing so it
recognizes that:

a) The Board shall reserve the right to make such amendments to the policy as may
become necessary from time to time, and
b) The policy is not intended to come in the way of providing immediate succour to
needy persons under extraordinary or emergent circumstances, in which case

 departure from the procedures can be approved by the founder Chairman/CEO or the
person authorized by the Board of Trustees for reasons to be recorded in writing.

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 Management System (Organizational System / Chart)

Board of Trustees

/Execive
Committee
Patron

Chairman/C.E.O

Programme Manager

Coordinators Researchers

Supervisors

Field Staff / Volunteers

Administrator / Financial
Officer

Financial Assistant /Clark

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Governance Policy and Procedures:

Contents

S.No Section Description Page no.

1 A 5-11
Financial Management Guidelines

2 B Procurement Guidelines 12

3 C Human Resource Guidelines 13-16

4 D Child Protection Guidelines 17-25

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 A) Financial Management Guidelines

1. Purpose
The purpose of this Financial Management policy and procedures document is to specify:-
• Roles and responsibilities for every person in the organization who has some role in
financial management or procedures
• Financial planning and reporting undertaken at KFORD annually
• Financial policies to be followed by every person in the organization.

2. Key Principles
The key principles on which all KFORD Financial Policy is based are:

3. Organisation Funds
• Organizational funds belong to KFORD. They should not be used for private purposes,
including private grant or loan.
• Funds should be carefully used in an effective way in the best interests of the
organization and to further its objectives.
• All Trustees, Staff and members are responsible for the careful and honest use of funds.
• Funds granted to KFORD for a specific purpose will be used for that purpose.
4. Collective Accountability
• All Trustees and staff of KFORD have a collective (shared) responsibility for the financial
health of the organization.
• Every designated person has specific responsibilities. Everyone on the Board and all
staff dealing with finances must share responsibility for the careful and honest use of
the organizational funds
5. Transparency
• All financial documents and reports should be available to all members of the
Board/trustees and all staff members with financial duties.
• Annual accounts duly audited would be should be notified for general information of all
concerned.
6. Separation of Duties
No single person covers all financial tasks. Where ever possible, financial tasks are split
between two or more people.

Usually one person will DO the task and another person will CHECK if the task is done
correctly.

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Roles and Responsibilities

7. Chairman/CEO
In relation to KFORD’s Financial Management policies and procedures, the Chairman/CEO
will undertake to:

• ensure the KFORD has written financial policies and procedures that have been adopted
by the KFORD Board
• ensure that the Board and staff have a copy of these, have read them and understand
them
• ensure financial management policy is implemented effectively
• ensure a yearly Budget is prepared and approved by the Board and that a six monthly
review is carried out
• ensure the Board meets regularly (quarterly as far as possible) to review and approve
financial reports
• liaise with Treasurer and Financial Committee to ensure financial reports are prepared
and reviewed
• act as a cheque signatory and check the Payment Voucher and the individual cheque
before signing and authorizing the payment

8. Treasurer
In relation to KFORD’s Financial Management policies and procedures, the Treasurer will
undertake to:

• ensure financial management policy is implemented effectively

• liaise with Chairman/CEO on financial matters and bring any irregularities to attention
urgently
• ensure a yearly Budget is prepared and approved by the Board
• ensure financial reports are prepared for the Board and check their accuracy
• present these reports to the Board and be able to answer questions on these reports
• act as a cheque signatory and check the Payment Voucher and the individual cheque
before signing and authorizing the payment
• carry out monthly Bank Reconciliation against the Bank Statement
• ensure cheque butts are completely correct and are readable
• regularly carry out spot checks on procedures and financial documents

9. Financial Committee
In relation to KFORD’s Financial Management policies and procedures, the Secretary will
undertake to:

• liaise with the Chairman/CEO for ensuring monthly review of financial reports prior to
the Board meeting
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10. Trustees
In relation to KFORD’s Financial Management policies and procedures, all Trustees will
undertake to:

• attend Board meeting regularly

• read and understand KFORD Financial Policy and Procedures
• learn to understand the financial budgets and financial reports
• approve the KFORD Annual Budget
• read and question monthly financial reports that are tabled at the Board meetings

11. Financial Officer

In relation to KFORD’s Financial Management policies and procedures, the Financial Officer
will undertake to:

• manage the organization’s financial systems efficiently

• prepare the annual budget in consultation with the Chairman/CEO and Treasurer
• act as a cheque signatory and check the Payment Voucher and the individual cheque
before signing and authorizing the payment
• on a monthly basis check the Payment voucher file to ensure all payment vouchers for
that month have been completed fully
• check the monthly Bank Reconciliation against the Bank Statement
• assist as necessary with the preparation of the month financial report and review it
• inform the Treasurer if any budget line is close to budget limit
• ensure all financial records are kept up to date
• ensure that revenue is not allowed to be used for any expenditure

12. Accountant
In relation to KFORD’s Financial Management policies and procedures, the Accountant will
undertake to:

• record all receipts/income and ensure daily remittance into bank

• ensure all income is backed by the last day of the month
• make all payments on the due date using a payment voucher
• ensure all appropriate documents are attached to payment vouchers and file them in
cheque order
• ensure the voucher is signed by the client after receiving payment
• take responsibility for the cash box and petty cash recording
• input I&E data into the electronic cashbook on a weekly basis and ensure these are
identical to the hard copy

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• backup all financial electronic files weekly
• carry out the monthly bank reconciliation
• prepare the monthly Income and Expenditure report and submit this to the Treasurer for
presentation at the monthly Board meeting
• ensure records are kept up to date

Financial Policy Summary

13. Financial Planning

• A full organization budget will be prepared annually
• A budget review will be undertaken after every six months

14. Bank Account

• All KFORD income and expenditure must go through the KFORD bank account
• The signatories to the KFORD bank account are the Chairman/CEO, Treasurer and the
Secretary.
• Two signatories are required on each cheque

15. Income
• All income is receipted
• All income is banked into the KFORD bank account
• No unbanked income is used for petty cash
• Ideally income is to be daily but must be banked weekly. All Income, no matter how
small, is always banked by the end of the month.

16. Expenditure
• All expenditure must have an approved budget allocation
• No blank cheques are to be signed by any cheque signatory
• The Administrative Officer will sign cheques only when two Board members are
unavailable
• Salaries are to be paid through cheques
• All payments above Rs 10,000.00 (Ten Thousand) shall be paid by cheque .All other
payments shall also be made as far as possible through cheques
• Every cheque payment must have a Payment Voucher completed
• Each Payment Voucher is to be authorized by the person it relates to
• Payment vouchers are to be signed by the person who receives the cheque
• Separate Payroll records are to be kept for all salaries and wages
• Small payments under Rs 10000 (Ten Thousand) may be paid using the Office petty cash,
at the discretion of the Treasurer
• The office petty cash total be 10000

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17. Accounting for Income and Expenditure
• Income and Expenditure is to be accounted for
• Electronic records are kept using the linked Excel cashbook
• Income and expenditure data is entered into the cashbook on a regular basis, at least weekly
• Bank reconciliation is carried out monthly.
• The bank reconciliation is to be checked by the Treasurer and the Finance Committee

18. Reporting
• A monthly bank reconciliation report is prepared and printed. This reconciliation is
reviewed and checked by both the Treasurer and Finance Committee. It is to be attached
to the bank statement it relates to and filed in the Bank Statement file.
• Monthly Income and Expenditure reports for the KFORD are to be prepared and printed
by the Financial Officer.
• Monthly financial reports are presented by the Treasurer at the monthly Executive
Committee meeting
• After approval by the Executive Committee and signed by the Treasurer, the monthly
report should be filed in a separate file

19. Record Keeping

The following records are to be kept and maintained by staff. The files are to be kept in a
safe and secure place known to and approved by the Treasurer and Chairman/CEO.

• Physical records: Receipts books, cheque books, income file, payment voucher file, bank
statement file, IRD, NPF and ACC files, Monthly Income and Expenditure file
• Electronic records: The Excel cashbook is to be backed up on a weekly basis onto a
diskette or USB Drive (Data Pen).
At the end of the financial year, the financial records for that year are to be archived and
stored in a safe place.

20. Annual Accounts and Audit

• Annual Accounts are to be prepared
• Annual Accounts are to be audited by a reputed auditor appointed with the approval of
the Board of Trustees.
• Annual Accounts are to be presented to members at the Annual General Meeting

21. Misuse of Funds

• Any suspected misuse or misappropriation of funds will be investigated by the
Chairman/CEOand Treasurer
• After the investigation is completed and the facts clearly established, the
Chairman(CEO)/ Treasurer will take appropriate action. For minor issues this may be kept

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 to internal disciplinary action. For serious offences, the matter will be referred to the
Police
• The Chairman/CEO will inform the Board of any serious offences and the action taken

22. Trustee Volunterism

• The KFORD Board members agree to work for the organisation in the spirit of
volunteerism
• No Trustee meeting allowances will be paid
• All work done for KFORD by the members of the Board of Trustees will be unpaid

23. Conflict of Interest

• Board and staff members will undertake to avoid real, apparent or potential conflict of
interest situations in their work
• Board and staff members agree to abide by Conflict of Interest guidelines which are
attached Appendix One: KFORD Conflict of Interest Guidelines

Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Staff and Board Members

Preamble

These guidelines, in the form of a policy are in addition to the KFORD Constitution/bylaws. It is
important that Staff/Board Members be seen always to place the interests of KFORD above their
own interests when engaged in KFORD business. The following points are intended to provide
guidance for the KFORD Board of Trustees and for individual staff/Board members in cases where
real, apparent, or potential conflicts of interest may arise.

Definition

Conflicts of interest include situations:

• where staff/Trustees private or business affairs or financial interests are in conflict with their
duties and responsibilities or result in a perception that a conflict exists;
• where a staff/Trustees actions compromise or undermine the trust which the public, other
stakeholders (including donors and government partners) and members place in KFORD; and
• Which could impair or appear to impair the staff/Board members; abilities to act in KFORD
interest.

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Conflicts of interest can include both financial and material interests. In addition to actual conflict of
interest, there can also be apparent or potential conflict of interest. An apparent conflict of interest
occurs when the answer to the following question is "yes":

Would a reasonably informed person perceive that the performance of the

staff/Trustees duties and responsibilities could be influenced by their financial or
material interest?

For example, any time a Board member is also directly engaged in a project sponsored or supported
or funded through KFORD, or is bidding to provide service to KFORD there is the possibility of an
apparent conflict of interest.

A potential conflict of interest is a situation that may develop into a real conflict of interest.

These guidelines extend to include ‘associated parties’ of the staff/Board member. Associated parties
are defined as: Spouse, parents, brothers, sisters and children of the staff/Board member as well as
persons with whom the staff/Board member has or has had marital, intimate, significant business,
financial or other similar kind of close personal relationship.

Guidelines
The following guidelines direct all actions and decisions regarding potential and actual conflict of
interest in activities sponsored or supported by KFORD.

• the staff/Board members act in the best interests of the members of KFORD;
• the staff/Board members do not participate in decisions from which they could benefit
financially or materially;
• the staff/Board members regard benefits accruing to associated parties as if the staff/Board
member in question were to benefit;

The staff/Board members do not use their positions or information obtained there from to provide
an unfair advantage to themselves, including cases involving grants for funding and other
approvals and appointments. Types of Conflict of Interest

• Self-dealing: In the staff/Board member’s role, the individual makes decisions that financially
or materially affect them as a private citizen or any associated parties.
• Accepting benefits: In the staff/Board member’s role, the staff/Board member accepts
substantial gifts, bribes, services, or other significant benefits that may be perceived to
influence the staff/Board member.
• Influence peddling: The staff/Board member accepts benefits in exchange for exerting
influence or giving preferential treatment to the giver of the benefit.
• Using confidential information: The staff/Board member uses confidential information
acquired because of KFORD work for private gain.

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 • Post-appointment: Confidential information that has been gained in the staff/Board
member’s role is used for private advantage after leaving KFORD.

Procedure when a Conflict of Interest Arises

1. It is the responsibility of each staff/Board member to immediately disclose in writing to the

Chairman/CEO of KFORD the existence of any conflict of interest.
2. Staff/Board members must withdraw from participation in any way in decisions in which they
have a financial or material interest.
3. Staff/Board members who are in a conflict of interest shall absent themselves without
comment prior to any discussion or voting in respect of the application or other issue.
4. Should a staff/Board member be found to be in conflict or interest that has not be disclosed
to the Board as required in point 1 above, the Board may:
a) require the staff/Board member to provide full disclosure of the nature of the conflict of
interest;
b) by special resolution remove Member from the Board or terminate employment of the
Staff member as the case maybe.

B) Procurement Guidelines

1) The procurement of various goods and material for various purposes under projects
has to be a multiple-step planning as described below. The following process may be waived
off in case the supplier is a government or semi government agency or may be relaxed on
case-to-case basis subject to the prior permission of the Chairman/CEO.
2) Purchasing Committee: In every operational district the KFORD will form a
purchasing committee comprising the members from Central office, Project Staff and
concern committees like education committee etc. The committee should be authorized to
estimate different tasks, contact the suppliers and conduct the bid analysis and finalize the
supplier in a transparent manner. The committee will also conduct the need identification
based on the activities as laid down in the proposal. The formation of the committee and the
names of the committee members along with their signatures should be properly
documented.
3) Tentative Estimates: Prior to any action which demands procurement of material from
the market, the KFORD representative in-charge, in consultation with the beneficiaries and
other stakeholders, needs to estimate the quantity required for the specific purpose and the
rationale of the action. The minutes of such consultative meetings of the purchasing
committee needs to be documented and signed by the members present. In case the
procurement is estimated about 30000 INR 2 suppliers / vendors, above 30000 INR 3
suppliers/vendors need to be identified for submission of quotations against the estimated

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items with the specified quantity. The suppliers or the vendors are to be chosen based on
the local knowledge about them. Wherever necessary samples of the items to be purchased
need to be sought before the finalization of the order.
4) Quotations & Bid analysis: After the collection of sealed quotations from the suppliers,
the purchasing committee would conduct a comparative bid analysis of the rates and the
quality of the material besides the terms and conditions laid down by the supplier. Based on
the said analysis a supplier would be finalized amongst the bidders and the committee
should sign the authorization document which comprises the formal documentation of the
entire process from step 1 to 3 as described above.
5) Placement of orders: Once a supplier is finalized, a purchasing order detailing the
terms and condition of the order needs to be submitted to the line manager for his/her final
approval. The concerned representative should scrutinize the documents and authorize the
order. The payment to the suppliers needs to be made through a Cheque rather than cash
and should be done after the delivery of the goods.
6) Inventory Recording / consumption: All the items purchased should be recorded by the
Admin and Finance section in an inventory list. In the case the items were centrally
purchased for their distribution in the entire project area like educational and recreational
material, a disbursement plan of the same needs to be sought from the field teams followed
by a requisition which details the number of items to be disbursed at a given point of time in
a particular village/place. The items should be disbursed by the concerned committees in
presence of the KFORD representative.



C) Human Resource Guidelines

1. Objective:
To provide for an effective selection process, based on the principle and practice of equal
opportunities. All recruitment in KFORD shall be for pre-determined position based on
specific competencies. The categories of appointments to KFORD shall be contract, casual,
interns, or volunteers. Consultants do not fall into the category of staff.
2. Contract status
All contract appointments shall be in accordance with employment agreements.
Casual staff may be hired for a number of days or for a period deemed appropriate to do a
specific task. In such situation, the employment is considered to be renewable daily and
remuneration shall be in accordance with the State laws.
Interns As a way of investing in a wider and more diverse pool of experienced candidates
for the future, KFORD may appoint interns subject to requirement.
An intern is a person that as part of that person’s education needs to be exposed to work in
an NGO or an organization working with KFORD thrust area. An intern will not get paid for
such assignment work done by her/him and will only conduct work that would not be done if
the intern would not do it. An internship can range from 3 weeks to 6 months.

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 3. Secondment
KFORD utilizes the strengths and capabilities that exist in the organization. Secondment
provides an opportunity for staff to learn and expose themselves – as the need arises – to
different parts of the organization within/across national, regional or international
boundaries.
4. Volunteers
KFORD acknowledges that volunteers come to work with us for various reasons. During a
volunteer’s time they may be asked to assist with a variety of work. KFORD will try to
balance its needs with the volunteer’s interests and skills. Any volunteer who is appointed to
a paid job during their time with KFORD will then be considered casual contract staff.
5. Standards of behavior
All staff, including Volunteers, is expected to observe KFORD standards of behavior and
rules and to observe the confidentiality of KFORD business and information at all times.
Failure to do so might result in the institution of processes for such a person to leave after
an investigation by KFORD management and where all alternatives have been explored.
6. Recruitment Process
The recruitment process for all positions will be overseen by the Chairman/CEO under whose
approval a job offer will be made, the relevant contract issued and appropriate
documentation of the selection process ensured. The HR manager will screen a prospective
employee before an offer is made to a candidate.
7. Advertisement
KFORD will adopt transparent processes for selection of competent candidates. KFORD will
notify most of its vacancies internally in the first instance to encourage staff development.
Only those who meet the person specifications and selection criteria will be offered an
interview.
In other cases, advertisements will include adequate information about the post and the
person specifications and indicating the time limit for application, which should ordinarily be
not less than two weeks. It should also be placed on the KFORD website. Other appropriate
media may be used as well, targeting the desired applicants.
8. Head hunting
In KFORD experience – especially when recruiting for leadership positions or specialized
functional and thematic roles – one cannot rely solely on advertisements to find the most
appropriate candidates. Thus, direct and targeted searches for such candidates may be
conducted through head hunting. If such candidates accept KFORD invitation to apply, they
will be placed directly on the short list but must still go through the same formal selection
procedures applicable to all other applicants.
9. Selection process and interview
All short-listed candidates must participate in the selection process including an interview.
The Chairman/CEO and the concerned Programme officer will jointly develop a set of criteria
and agreed grade/salary structure and pattern of discussion to be followed in the interview.
It is a pre-requisite that a well-defined job profile is prepared by the Programme officer and

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agreed with the Chairman/CEO prior to interview. The short listing process will be conducted
internally by a panel.

10. Panel interview
In the case of senior staff selection, an appropriate external panel member, with
acknowledged domain expertise (functional or geographic) may be included. Any potential
conflict of interest between panel members and potential staff must always be explored
and avoided. Assessment procedure The selection process should be relative to the nature
and level of the job. For senior management positions, the assessment process should
include several of the assessment methods listed below:
• Technical expertise and experience,
• Alignment with KFORD values, attitudes and behaviors, work style
• Sensitivity to gender and diversity issues.
If it proves too difficult to recruit staff with the required competence they should be
recruited on the basis of their values, attitudes, behavior and potential. A variety of methods
of assessment may be used, depending on the position ranging from telephone interview,
face to face interviews to written assignment or similar exercise to assess domain
knowledge, writing and analytical skills.
References from persons (Coordinators and peers) with whom the candidate has previously
worked are essential prior to confirming an offer of employment. The Board of Trustees will
be informed about the recruitment of new staff members. Where applicants are not short-
listed or have not been offered the position after interview, the recruiting manager should
give the appropriate feedback within two weeks of the advert closing or of such time as the
decision is made.
11. Offer of Appointment
Successful applicant/s will be informed by appropriate medium and a contract signed to
confirm terms and conditions that have been presented to him/her during the interview.
Offers of appointment are subject to the receipt of satisfactory references (a minimum of 2)
Letters will state employee contract and terms & conditions of employment to be signed by
both parties (the employee and the employer).
The employer will keep a copy of the signed contract/terms and conditions of employment
on file and the employee will also keep the original copy for their records.
12. Staff Record
A personal file shall be opened for all new staff members and will be kept confidential. The
file will hold the following documents: a) Application form/letter b) Curriculum vitae c) Copy
of the contract letter signed by the employee and the Director. d) A staff data form e) Next
of kin nomination form Confirmation process Permanent staff will be confirmed after
successfully undergoing the probation period of six months. A staff assessment meeting will
be held by the line manager in conjunction with the staff and based on this a new contract
will be signed if it is agreed that the person will continue in its position.
13. Conflict of interest

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Staff are required to disclose any potential or real conflict of interest with the organization
prior to/or after they are recruited.
14. Employment Induction
Orientation and Induction are important ways of introducing new staff to KFORD vision,
values and practices, clarifying expectations, and ensuring quick integration into the
organization. An employee’s Programme Officer (to be designated) is responsible for
planning an appropriate induction process.
15. Probationary Period
Employment will be on the basis of a probationary period of six months. During this time
KFORD will assess and review the employee’s work performance and reserves the right at
any time during this period to terminate the employment with one month’s notice or one
month’s salary in lieu of notice. On satisfactory completion of the probationary period the
employee will receive a confirmation of employment in writing from KFORD. Should the
employee feel unsuited to the position during this time, the employee is required to give
KFORD one month’s written notice to terminate their employment with HELP Foundation.
16. Evaluations
A proper record of progress and assessment of the employees will be maintained annually.

KFORD will strive to introduce modern concepts of working such as annualized hours,
flextime etc., which allow employees certain flexibility and better working ethos without
sacrificing productivity and enabling them to give their best output.
17. Leaves /Holiday period
All notified holidays under Negotiable Instruments Act J&K state will be allowed to the
employees.
Full time employees will be entitled to not more than fifteen days paid leave and not more
than 30 days leave without salary in a year. The same basis of calculation will be used to
calculate holiday entitlement for part-time employees in accordance with the terms of the
contract.
Record of holidays will be maintained by the Administrative Officer and shared with the
Finance Section.


18. Annual leave
Staff is expected to take annual leave at regular intervals throughout the year in order to
gain maximum benefit. All staff must clear their holidays with their immediate line manager
giving at least one week's notice wherever possible. Confirmed holiday arrangements will
not be considered sufficient reasons in themselves for authorizing holiday dates if these
conflict with the needs of the organization. Availing leave during work peaks is to be
discouraged except for very special reasons. These will be considered on merit in each case.
19. Annual leave entitlement for casual staff

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Casual staff will not be entitled to days off holiday instead it will be included in their salary
for hours worked. Unauthorized absence will entail deduction from pay and may also result
in loss of appointment.
20. Working Hours
The normal working hours for all positions is 48 hours per week with normal office hours as
agreed by management in summer and winter periods. However, the employee will be
required to work those hours necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. The
normal working hour during summer: 09:30am–5:00pm and winters 10 to 5 with one hour
lunch break.
21. Overtime
It may be necessary on occasions for staff to work overtime. It is not KFORD policy to pay
for overtime worked and therefore all staff will be allowed paid time off in lieu of actual
overtime worked. This will be given by arrangement with the employee's manager. Time in
lieu should be taken within one (1) month of the extra hours worked.
22. Remuneration & benefits package Remuneration
Most KFORD staff is in the organization because of their belief in its mission and its positive
culture and working environment. Though KFORD remuneration systems should not be a
barrier to entry or an incentive to leave, resources do not permit us to compete in the
‘remuneration race’. Remuneration packages will be competitive within relevant markets
and sufficiently attractive to draw in suitably qualified staff. Packages will be based on
comprehensive, unambiguous and transparent systems and will be fair, non-discriminatory
and non exploitative. They will be applicable to all staff.
23. Salary scales
Salary scales will be based on progressive systems with incremental steps. Staff may
progress through the scales on the basis of length of service and changing role.
• An increase in the volume of same-level work may not merit a salary increase.
• Performance-based pay is not applicable in KFORD. Salary is not linked to performance
appraisals.
• It is the responsibility of the Chairman/CEO to determine the salary level and benefits for
new appointees and for managing the remuneration system.
24. Training
KFORD encourages staff training and development. Any professional training that the
employee would like to participate can be discussed with the employee’s immediate
manager.
25. Code of Conduct on Official Trips
KFORD staff may be required to undertake trips both within the country and to other
countries. While on such trips, staff members are expected to maintain a level of decorum
and behavior that does not jeopardize the organization or the assignment on which they are
working. For instance, staff may not stay in ostentatious hotels nor may they visit places of
local disrepute.
26. Telephone calls

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Staffs are entitled to make one very brief private call home per week while abroad on
KFORD business.
27. Per Diem
KFORD staff on field visits within the state or official visits to other state or countries are
entitled to per diem allowance as per rates to notified from time to time.













D) CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

1. PREAMBLE

KFORD is engaged in working with the poor at the grass roots and promotes the well being
of all children whose lives are directly impacted through its Projects.

Care and concern for Children are the heart of KFORD’s ministry.

As a reflection of our commitment to the vision and considering the fact that children are
often vulnerable to abuse and exploitation KFORD places highest importance to protection
and safety of children in all its dealings. Protection is a right of the child.

KFORD commits to comply with all Partnership standards for child protection designed to
safeguard children from exploitation, neglect, sexual and physical abuse. KFORD continually
examines the need to reduce the risk to children in all its Programmes. Therefore these
Standards for child Protection are intended to keep children safe from possible abuse and
exploitation by Staff, sponsors, and others with who they are in contact. This policy also
intends to increase the awareness on child protection in the community and in the family.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) shall be the guiding
principle for implementing basic rights for all children below the age of 18 years. The
Government of India acceded to the UN Convention on the Rights of the child in 1992, and
has also ratified the two Optional Protocol in 2007

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(1) Involvement of children in Armed conflict

(2) Sale of children, child prostitution & child pornography

(3) And committed to its full implementation for the wellbeing of children. There are other
laws pertaining to children in India such as the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of
Children) 2000 and Amendment Act 2006 and The Child Labour (Prohibition and
Regulation Act), 1986. By the amendment with effect from 10th October 2006, it has
extended the ban on employment of children below the age of 14 years in the area of:

Domestic help and in dhabas

Restaurants, hotels and the hospitality sectors

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956
(amended Act of 44 of 1986) also provide guidelines for safety and security of children.

This Policy is in conformity with the above laws, core values, Partnership policy, Customer
Relations Service standards and Human Resource Policy of KFORD India.

The procedures and guidelines for implementing the Policy are outlined in the following 11
sections.

1. Awareness Raising

2. Program Planning

3. Personnel – Screening and Recruiting

4. Behavior Protocols and code of conduct

5. Allegation / Incident Management Plan

6. Protection of Sponsored children

7. Advocacy on child protection and child Rights

8. Communications about children and Photographs

9. General Confidentiality of child information

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 10. Partner Organizations – Agreements

11. Contractor and Vendor’s agreement

2. Procedures and Guidelines

CPP 1 Awareness Raising

KFORD will

I.Advocate regular awareness on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), including their right to
protection, to KFORD Staff, Board and Trust members.
II. Promote awareness of rights of children among Interns, consultants, community
leaders, community volunteers, in the communities in which it works, including children and
the general public.
III. Ensure Project Staff are given specific child protection training and skill enhancement.
IV. Facilitate in establishing local Child Protection Units in the communities it works,
consisting of community leaders, key officials from Government, Medical Professionals,
Police officers of the local area, judiciary and Project Staff to help in implementing Child
Protection Programmes, to ensure protection of all children in the community and also
handle any case on child abuse. These CPUs are organized at Community level, Project
level as per the guideline and then they connect with the district level CPU which is a
Government body.
V. Facilitate in establishing child help lines and network with UNICEF, and similar child
protection NGOs.


CPP 2 Programme Planning

KFORD will

I. Incorporate into its project design activities that focus on Child protection in the
framework of United Nations convention on the rights of the child (UN CRC).
II. Design the Programs in projects to move from child welfare approach to Child Rights
approach and engage children (age appropriate) in program Planning, Implementation,
Monitoring and Evaluation and also to raise their voices against decisions that affect their
lives.
III. Plan programs to reduce risks facing vulnerable children and to address particularly the
needs of children who are in situations of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
IV. Design programs addressing the causes of abuse such as threats/vulnerabilities/existing
violations and promote responses that support family and community responsible for the
well being of children and the prevention of child abuse, exploitation and neglect.

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 V. Plan for rehabilitation of children who have been abused and exploited, are developed in
the best interests of the child by enhancing and maintaining safety security, and reducing
the risk from further harm.

CPP 3 Personnel Screening and Recruiting

KFORD will

I. Recruit staff, both permanent and contract, only after obtaining adequate background
verification from references and KFORD’s own sources for any history of child
exploitation neglect and abuse.
II. Ascertain their aptitude, interest and sensitivity in working with children and their
previous work with children. Prospective employees, Volunteers appointed by the
Community Based Organizations, interns, consultants, the Board & Society members are
informed of KFORD Child Protection Policies at the start of any recruiting process and
they are also screened similarly. The Board members are waived of the background
check by the partnership.
III. Enhance capacities of staff working with children in projects, to effectively deal with
issues of child rights and advocacy, to promote rights of children and to provide
protection from exploitation, neglect and abuse.
IV. Ensure that all work and activities of staff, both permanent and contract, supports the
protection of all in communities from any form of exploitation, neglect and abuse.
V. Ensure that personnel exercise behavior protocols consistent with the Mission
Statement and Core Values in their relationship with children, in the context of their
language, actions, dress, and behavior.


CPP 4 Behavior Protocols and code of conduct

KFORD will

I. Personnel including staff, volunteers, interns and consultants will establish an
atmosphere conducive for the development of children through their word, deed and
demeanor. This includes listening to children and showing respect to them.
II. Staff, interns, consultants, volunteers and visitors including sponsors will respect the
local cultural context and behave in appropriate with children in communities as per the
behavior protocols.
III. Personnel including staff, volunteer, interns and consultants will not allow project
children to visit their homes under any pretext without the prior knowledge and
agreement of their superiors.
IV. Project children are not permitted to stay overnight in the home of KFORD personnel at
any time.

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 V. Staff will not employ children as domestic workers in their homes.
VI. Personnel including staff, interns, volunteers, consultants and visitors will not spend time
alone with a child or children. There will always be another adult (“two adult rule”
principle) who will be able to see the interaction. The exception to this may be in the
event where personnel are employed as professionally recognized trained counselors.
VII. Personnel including staff, interns, volunteers, consultants and visitors are always
responsible for the interaction between an adult and a child even when it appears that a
child is acting in a provocative manner.
VIII. Personnel including staff, interns, volunteers, consultants and Visitors will not touch
private parts of the body, or the touch, which will make the child uncomfortable.

CPP 5 Allegation/Incident Management Plan

KFORD…

Any incident of child abuse in KFORD programmes directly implemented or implemented in
partnership with other stakeholders in the target community shall be reported and managed
in the following manner:

I. Community level: Incidents such as child sexual abuse, missing child, child’s death
(unnatural death) and severe physical abuse of a child, to the extent of grievous injury in
the child’s body that may take place in the target area involving any of the community
members including volunteers, shall be reported to the Child Protection Committee
(CPC) who is the facilitator of the Child Protection Unit at the Community level and also
to the Programme Manager.
II. The CPC and representatives of CPC shall meet the parents or care-giver and the child
immediately for obtaining a detailed report on the incident.

They shall also be responsible to render support for child’s medical treatment in the
government hospital and to ensure that the case of the child is registered in the records of
the hospital. The CPC members shall provide moral support to parents and the victim (child)
to file the First Information Report (FIR) at the local police station.
If any threat is faced by the parents while filing the FIR then the child and/ or the parents can
inform the Child Line (1098) or the Child Protection Committee.

I. ADP Level: The CPC has the responsibility of informing the abuse case immediately to
the concerned Programme Manager and the latter to report to the Point Person in
the State Office within 7 hours of the incident and the issue will be dealt sensitively
by protecting the confidentiality and image of the child.
II. If the perpetrator (abuser) is a staff of KFORD, then it should be reported to the
Child Protection Committee and the Director KFORD at the State Office by the
Programme Manager.

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 III. If the perpetrator (abuser) is the Programme Manager of the ADP/Project, then it
should be reported by the staff that has knowledge of the incident or the affected
party to the Child Protection Point Person at the State Office through a phone call
followed up by email documentation. The confidentiality of the reporting person
shall be maintained.
IV. Often a child may be physically injured by the abuse. However, the psychological
damage inflicted is far more painful and, ultimately, far more damaging to the child.
Abused children must juggle a number of conflicting emotions. The most common
psychological reactions are fear, confusion, anger, shame, depression, and lowered
self-esteem, any or all of which may cause serious problems later in life if not
resolved. Due care need to be paid to these aspects while managing the
allegation/incident involving a child.
V. State Level: The Child Protection Point Person shall call for a CPC meeting at the State
Office for the purpose of providing appropriate support to the concerned ADP in
responding to the victim (child) and the family. The point person will also be
responsible to update the Child Protection Incident database for forwarding the
information to the Regional Child Protection unit.
VI. In the event of a staff being involved, the Child Protection Point Person shall inform
the details to the Legal and HR Dept for appropriate action.
VII. When such a report is received against a staff/manager, a due process enquiry shall
be held to ascertain the facts in accordance with the principles of natural justice.
Based on the findings of the enquiry, appropriate action will be taken to bring a
closure to the matter.
VIII. Ensures investigation will be treated with care, concern and in absolute
confidentiality.
IX. The Director should be kept fully updated on all Child Protection incidents
irrespective of who is involved (community, volunteers, staff, programme managers
etc.)

CPP 6 Protection of sponsored children

KFORD will

I. Follow childcare Policy and Child Sponsorship Standards outlined in the Integrated
Child Protection Scheme.
II. Ensure Staff members directly relating to sponsors receive training about the need for
child protection, strategies to protect children and the detection of possible
irregularities in requests related to sponsorship.
III. Ensure sponsored child’s history, picture folders and of children are stored in locked
and secure facilities with a limited number of people to have access.
IV. Ensure all sponsor correspondence with a sponsored child is for inappropriate or
suggestive comments, requests or obscenities. In the event of inappropriate

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 correspondence being discovered, KFORD reserves the right to decline sponsorship or
sever the sponsorship relationship.
V. Ensure KFORD sponsor and his or her sponsored child should not exchange home
addresses.
VI. Ensure Staff to be aware of KFORD’s policy on the use of the World Wide Web.
Sponsors are advised that information via the World Wide Web is provided as a service
and is not to be downloaded or redistributed to another site. Any posting on the
World Wide Web should have a clear warning that the information is not to be or
redistributed for any reason unless is obtained in writing from the KFORD office
concerned. Such activity could Subject the user to legal action by KFORD.
VII. Decline any request for assistance in child adoption from Partnership or from any
other source.


CPP 8 Advocacy on child protection and child rights

KFORD will

I. Endeavor to influence relevant changes in public policy that will support Child Rights
and provide protection to children through at different levels of administration and
Non-Government Organizations.
II. Encourage promote and develop research activities that will support such advocacy
efforts to seek structural and system changes for child protection and to promote
children’s participation in securing their rights.
III. Collaborate and network with agencies engaged in Child Rights and Child Protection
for sharing knowledge and spearheading to secure the rights of children.
IV. Actively network with Mohalla Committes, Governments, Non-Government
organizations and Human Rights Commissions in organizing and participating in
campaigns, rallies, seminars on Child Rights, and also advocating / persuading with
decision makers for necessary changes/amendments to child related legislations.
Each Directly Run Project will make one staff responsible for this additional duty.
V. Provide support in the areas of legal aid/advocacy pertaining to instances of
infringement of child rights/protection.
VI. Share best practices and lessons learned concerning child rights and child protection
and disseminate to KFORD partnership to enhance knowledge, Staff competency and
ministry approaches.

CPP 9 Communications about Children and Photographs

KFORD will

I. Ensure that all communication material on children in the form of pictures/captions

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 are decent, dignified and respectful, and will not present children as victims, nor will
exaggerate/glamorize poverty at the cost of the child. They will abide by KFORD
communications reporting standards with regards to vulnerable children.
II. Ensures KFORD web sites should not use scanned images of children without formal
permission of the World Vision office for the project and the parents/guardians of the
child. Written permission should be obtained.
III. Ensure child personal and physical information that could be used to identify the
location of child in the projects should not be used on KFORD websites or in any
other form of communication about a child
IV. Ensure individuals or organizations requesting the use of KFORD’s resource such as
videos or photographs should be required to sign an agreement with the appropriate
personnel as to the proper use of such materials.

CPP 10 General Confidentiality of child information:

KFORD will

I. Ensures Projects and State Offices to protect and safeguard records and documents
of children and maintain their confidentiality.
II. Share Information about a child protection incident shared with people only if it is
deemed necessary by Child Protection monitoring group.
III. Ensure names and identities are not to be disclosed outside or to the media.
IV. Child abuse incidents to be flagged as confidential and handled with care and
concern.

CPP 11 Partner Organizations - Agreements:

KFORD will

I. Ensure all written agreements with partner organizations include a clause referring
to child protection and the expectation that the partner organization will have a child
protection policy of its own or agree that its staff will abide by KFORD’s child
protection behavior protocols.
II. Initiate action to any Non-compliance of Child Protection protocols that will lead to
KFORD terminating the agreement.

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 CPP 12 Contractors & Vendor’s agreement

I. KFORD Contractors/Vendors make a self declaration stating that children (below 18
years) will not be employed by them for any task. This is one of the clauses in the
MOU in dealings with the Contractors/Vendors.
II. CBOs to adhere to the Child Protection standards to safeguard children from
exploitation, neglect, sexual and physical abuse. Also ensures volunteers appointed by
SHGs/Federation to comply with the child protection behavior standards and a self-
declaration from Volunteers stating that they have not committed violence against
children.

{All legal matters pertaining to the Policy matter or the dispute of any matter come under
the exclusive jurisdiction of only the J&K Courts.
* We in KFORD abide and incorporate the complete child protection policy (CPP) latest by
2010 January 9th.

*This policy is in place and shall be implementation with effect from 27th March 2010.

*Any amendment on the policy is subject to the approval of Board of trustees.

*KFORD Governance Policy (1-25 Pages)

*The last amendment and the latest updated KFORD Governance Policy is in effect from 1st
August 2017 onwards till further amendment or KFORD administrative orders.

For further details contact:

Sanatnagar main road (behind J&K Bank) Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190005.
kfordkashmir@gmail.com Phone: 01942436959 +919797770807 , www.kford.org

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